Request message control method for using service and service providing system

Abstract

In the case where Web service providers and Web service brokers are successively connected in a multistage manner to form a tree structure, with each of the Web service brokers relaying messages to be transmitted and received between a Web service requestor and the Web service providers, not only the performance, states, and configurations of Web service providers which are directly called by a Web service broker, but also those of Web service providers existing in a descendant direction of the tree structure, are made use of as information used to determine a Web service provider to which a request message should be transmitted.

1 . A request message control method used in a service providing system, said service providing system having: 
 a service requester for transmitting a request message to utilize services;    a plurality of service providers that receive the request message, and that provide the same services on the-basis of the message; and    a service broker that receives the request message, and that transmits the message to any one of the service providers or another service broker;    and which are coupled by a network, wherein:    said service requestor, said service broker, and said service providers are coupled so as to have a tree structure;    said service providing system successively transmits request messages, which are issued by the service requestor corresponding to a root of the tree structure, to a subordinate service broker and a subordinate service provider; and    with reference to performance information, and state information, of service providers subordinate to the service broker, and with reference to information about the relationship of the service broker in the tree structure, the service broker selects the subordinate service broker or the subordinate service provider, and then transmits a request message, which is transmitted from a superordinate service provider in the tree structure, to the selected service broker or the selected service provider.    
   
   
       2 . A request message control method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said service broker gives, as a notification, performance information, and state information, of service providers subordinate to the service broker, and information about the relationship of the service broker in the tree structure, to a service broker superordinate to the service broker in question.    
   
   
       3 . A request message control method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 on the basis of the performance information, and the state information, of the service providers, which have been given as the notification by the subordinate service broker, and on the basis of the information about the relationship of the subordinate service broker in the tree structure, said service broker calculates an estimated value of the performance of services achieved when a request message is transmitted to the subordinate service broker, and then notifies a service broker superordinate to the service broker in question of the calculated estimated value of the performance; and    said service broker, which has been notified of the estimated value of the performance, selects the subordinate service broker or the subordinate service provider with reference to the notified estimated value of the performance, and then transmits the request message, which is transmitted from the superordinate service provider in the tree structure, to the selected service broker or the selected service provider.    
   
   
       4 . A request message control method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said service broker refers to a requestor policy used to provide the service requestor with services, and if there are a plurality of subordinate service providers that provide the same services, said service broker selects the subordinate service broker or the subordinate service provider on the basis of the requestor policy.    
   
   
       5 . A request message control method according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said requestor policy includes a description of a service provider which the service requestor does not want to utilize, and said service broker selects the subordinate service broker or the subordinate service provider so that the request message is not transmitted in a direction of a subtree including the service provider which the service requestor does not want to utilize.    
   
   
       6 . A service providing system having: 
 a service requestor for transmitting a request message to utilize services;    a plurality of service providers that receive the request message, and that provide the same services on the basis of the message; and    a service broker that receives the request message, and that transmits the message to any one of the service providers or another service broker;    and which are coupled after tree structure by a network, wherein    request messages, which are issued by the service requestor corresponding to a root of the tree structure, are successively transmitted to a subordinate service broker and a subordinate service provider; and    said service broker has a function of, with reference to performance information, and state information, of service providers subordinate to the service broker, and with reference to information about the relationship of the service broker in the tree structure, selecting the subordinate service broker or the subordinate service provider, and then transmitting the request message, which is transmitted from a superordinate service provider in the tree structure, to the selected service broker or the selected service provider.    
   
   
       7 . A service providing system according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said service broker has a function of giving, as a notification, performance information, and state information, of service providers subordinate to the service broker, and information about the relationship of the service broker in the tree structure, to a service broker superordinate to the service broker in question.    
   
   
       8 . A service providing system according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 said service requester, said service provider, and said service broker are a Web service requestor, a Web service provider, and a Web service broker respectively.